Wicked Game of Chase
by Purecopy
Summary: The Creator God has fallen. The Grand Chase were now given a task that may be very well their last mission. To fail meant to disappear completely and without a trace. How will they fare if what they need to do to save their world is to invade another realm and take a certain Magi to possibly revive the fallen Creator God? AMBIVALENCE REWRITTEN! (Rating may change in due time)
1. Chapter 1

**Synopsis:** Both worlds: Aernas, the material dimension and Elyos, the magical dimension, suffered a destruction that no one, even the Creator God himself had ever witnessed and predicted. Even after the success of Grand Chase for resolving the matter, nobody ever realized how damaged its dwellers became, and this took a huge toll on Aernas. The world fell apart, not only due to war and chaos, but because all races and all beings of creation lost faith and cursed their destinies. The Creator God was stripped of his omnipotence and divinity to which he received from songs and praises, ultimately becoming hollow, reducing himself into ashes. The goddesses of Archimedia wielded all of their powers to sustain the world, to prolong its life and prevent it from completely crumbling, thus, becoming the pillars that hold their precious, irreplaceable world. The Grand Chase held steadfast to their faith, and was quick to lend a hand to the goddesses, thus leading them to Xenia where the gods whose wisdom and knowledge would potentially help their rotting world. The Grand Chase were now given a task that may be very well their last mission. To fail meant to disappear completely and without a trace. How will they fare if what they need to do to save their world is to invade another realm and take a certain Magi to possibly revive the fallen Creator God?

 _ **Warning:**_ _Both Magi and Grand Chase characters may be subjected to OOC-ness. Moreover, the author favors the Grand Chase characters in terms of strength, to which they may be seen overpowering a few notable Magi characters._ _ **To Grand Chase players, characters introduced**_ _ **after**_ _ **Azin are**_ _ **not included**_ _ **.**_ _There will also be character deaths for both titles. It's going to be a surprise, so if you don't like this idea, please leave now and never come back. Actually, if you don't like even at least one of those things mentioned, save yourself and get out of here._

 _ **A/N:**_ _Yeah, I decided to pick this up once more and also rewrite it in a way I think is best for how my plot will go. Yes, I did say I lost interest due to the shutting down of the game but the memories stuck to me, and I really adored the idea so yeah, let's just get started._

* * *

 **Wicked Game of Chase**

When all members of Grand Chase were thrown into the Mirror of Illusions, none of them wondered about the Xenian gods' words:

 _Please chase the Magi whose image and being molded after our Creator. He'll be able to sing songs and praises and cast aside the shadows clouding our hearts with the brilliance of his eternal divinity, undoing the Creator's hollowing and ultimately, stopping the destruction of our world._

They never wondered why they worded it as such: ' _chase_ '. They didn't even question it. All of them were far too exhausted, far too weak and wounded to completely comprehend their request. No one even thought about jotting it down, and no one raised a question regarding the Mirror of Illusions being the direct portal to that realm itself and how it actually worked. They didn't hear about the consequences, the challenges to come and more importantly, the uncertainty of its success. There were a pile of questions needed to be asked considering how vague their request was.

How are they suppose to know that certain Magi? How will they recognize him? What does he look like? What's his name? How are they supposed to return to their own realm? What other realm? Will their abilities be affected in there? How is their trip going to be? Would they suffer some damages upon going through the portal? How does it work exactly? And where are they headed really?

Truth is, they stopped caring about those things. What they wanted was victory, to honor themselves and the fallen, to save their world - their very existence. They already suffered heavy losses: losing members of their team whose sacrifice they were not willing to go all for naught.

Those losses weighed heavily on them, especially to the people most close to them, and more so to their standing leader, Elesis. The first time around, when she saw Lass's lifeless body amidst a pile of corpses mix monsters and demons, she froze in distraught. She didn't know how to act and what to feel. She was shocked, angry, devastated, suspicious, and somehow desperate.

His silver hair sprayed with red blood, blue eyes dull and unfocused and body limp, Lass only drew a small smile before shutting his eyes close embracing death. This scene shook the young ruby knight in great extents that she hollered and went hysterical when it dawned on her it was his last breath. The other members scrambled to her aid only to find her snapping at them, holding the thief's head against her chest. She scolded them, told them it was not right to have let Lass deliver the final blow, that they should have stopped him before he jumped in, that they should have worked together properly.

"Do you really believe Lass will accept that?" Sieghart's tone was flat. He looked stern and composed, glaring down at their grieving leader. He had gained a number of wounds, his armor torn here and there and had his right arm bleeding. He fought the same battle as Lass did, and everyone knew it was vicious. There was only a handful of them, daring to destroy a horde of monsters and demons alike. None of them expected failure, but they figured they wouldn't get out of it unscathed.

"The boy didn't sacrifice himself for us. He wanted Kaze'aze's death for himself." the raven-haired gladiator announced. "This is our reality. We risk our lives here." Sieghart's grey eyes seemed to darken in Elesis's eyes. His words were cold, but true.

The ruby knight wasn't prepared for it, for she always knew they will all be all right - she believed that all is well and ends well. She swallowed her spit to hold back the tears, to stop herself from gritting her teeth, to hold her tongue against Sieghart. Ruby eyes glided over from the raven gladiator to the other members, ultimately returning to the silver-haired thief whose life has just vanished a couple of minutes ago. She had no choice but to accept it. Each and everyone suffered great damages, both physical and mental with a loss of a comrade, of a friend who fought alongside them.

"I know this war is far from over," Elesis muttered, almost biting her lip as she felt hot tears welling up under her eyelids. Her eyes glued to the young thief's face, burning the image of a faintly smiling child in her brain. She took a deep breath before finally turning her head away from the boy and faced her comrades, "But at least, I'd like for us to give Lass a burial he deserves."

Sieghart visibly flinched as he watched the young girl's tears flow steadily down her cheeks. He never considered it, but at that moment he thought it was heartbreaking to see Elesis cry. His hands balled into fists, eyes averting from the sight. He couldn't move a muscle, more so give her a reply. He was the closest to the red knight, yet he couldn't extend an arm to her and tell her-

"Okay." Ronan's voice wasn't loud at all, yet it seemed so as only his voice cut through the deafening silence in the battlefield of blood and flames. Extending his less battered arm, he stood a couple of steps ahead of Sieghart. The royal guard didn't hold a smile, and his blue eyes were filled with sadness, yet despite the blood, sweat and dirt on his face, there was still a glint of hope and determination on his features.

This uplifted Elesis's spirits. She gently wiped away her tears and looked back at the seemingly sleeping Lass. "I am proud of you, Lass." she softly mumbled, accepting their fate and keeping faithful to her remaining comrades. She understood what honor meant to the man, and recalled how valiant he was as he delivered the final blow. "Your sacrifice will not be for naught." she declared, almost as if vowing to protect the fallen's honor. She found her answer, her true purpose as the standing leader. She would protect not only her comrades' lives, but also their honor.

Chaos continued to spread like wildfire throughout the lands and across the seas, even reaching the heavens and the sacred haven of both gods and goddesses. Darkness quickly consumed their precious world, greater adversaries appearing one after another and hope seemed to have been lost forever. One sacrifice and again, the Grand Chase Team succeeded in vanquishing evil and restoring peace to the world. But it seemed they were too focused on their goal that they failed to notice the rate of decay and the amount of damage their world had taken. As they thought everything had come to a close, they were met with a graver disaster: their world was crumbling to pieces, threatening to fall into ruin, to be swallowed into the void, erased permanently - the Creator God himself has already fallen.

And so, this brought us back to the problem at hand. The Chase was falling into an endless sea of waves and ripples, of images and mirrors, of the past and present, an abyss of grey, of nothingness. Despite all that, they felt relaxed, relieved, enlightened, and although they were falling, they felt their bodies floating as if underwater.

Like everything else, they would reach the end of it, they _had_ to. And it was abrupt, like waking up from a dream.

Bright blue skies greeted Sieghart soon as he opened his eyes. He was lying in his back, and found an unconscious redhead on top of him. He failed to notice at once how he kept a firm hold of Elesis as they fell inside the Mirror of Illusions. He recalled her struggling a tad bits but gave up midway. He stared at the gal's sleeping face, unknowingly smiling as he did. Huffing a few breaths, he decided to rise up and wake the red knight.

"Hey, red! Class is in session." Sieghart wasted no time teasing the young knight when her awareness pulled her away from slumber. He supported her as she lifted her seemingly heavy body. Exhaustion was evident just from her irregular breathing and slow response.

As expected, they did not recover.

Sieghart understood it was a portal and nothing more. But if they were given such an important task, they should have been given ample time to rest and prepare or better yet, were personally healed by the gods themselves, yet they didn't or perhaps, they _couldn't_. Following the long-lasting battle against the forces of darkness, the immediate realization of their doom rushed them into action. When the goddesses and the gods showed them a possible solution, without thinking they swiftly jumped in. The highlander figured it was a grievous mistake but seeing as they had no time to lounge about, he nodded to himself that it was for the best.

Sieghart scanned the place. They were in the woods surrounded by endless greenery and towering trees. Realizing there was just the two of them in the area, he hypothesized they all got separated for some reason. They knew little about the Mirror of Illusions, and for all he knew, it must be one of its perks, or he'd like to call it, bonus. Seems like there was no other mode for that realm other than 'champion'. He slightly smirked at his own joke.

"Sieghart...? Where..is this?" the young knight's voice was brittle, and it pained the gladiator to see how battered Elesis was.

"Don't rush. We're probably in the 'other realm' the gods told us about and it seems we're the only ones in this area at the moment." he quickly replied.

"Where are the others..?"

"I'm sure they're in this realm but we're separated. Probably one factor we should have considered before entering the Mirror of Illusions." Sieghart sighed. He wanted to be careful with his words and actions but he lacked the finesse for such delicate matters.

Elesis only breathed after hearing the man's reply. She had faith in them and she believed they'll come across each other soon. Grasping her sword, she picked herself up.

"The first thing to do is scout the area. Hurry up and move, Sieghart!" Elesis announced, her voice suddenly gaining vigor; her posture solemn and respectable, like usual as the standing leader of the Chase.

Sieghart only shrugged. He stood up and followed the young knight who was already striding ahead. Knowing that they're in an entirely different realm, the highlander braced himself for the worse. They could be in a realm similar to Elyos, and he experienced all kinds of pains and horrors in there for jumping in head-on without any sort of preparations. The man vowed to prevent that mistake to fall upon Elesis.

Walking around for a while or so, the duo found an empty road leading to endless wilderness. They could hope for a town at the end of said road but were unsure of their destination and the length of their exploration, so they went back into the woods and hunted for food. Finding a pond, they set up camp beside it using stems and branches of trees, and wide palm leaves as makeshift cots and roof for their would-be tent.

Elesis prepared a campfire by the edge of the pond and took the opportunity to clean her wounds and perform some first aid medication to help her heal fast. She was grateful they found themselves in the woods, although not as bountiful, it helped that it was somewhere with no people. Otherwise, it would be disastrous if they appeared in the middle of a town. If anyone saw them in that getup, with injuries all over their bodies, people will surely freak out and they will be immediately thrown into the dungeons. She thought Sieghart would probably fight but in their current state, she doubted he'd prevail. No matter how strong a gladiator he is, his strength would be considerably low with the injuries he sustained after the chaotic war.

Another thing she considered was the fact that they were strangers to the land. She wasn't even sure if this 'other realm' had any similarities to their own. Elesis wouldn't be too reckless to tough it up against fighters of a realm she's never heard of. She believed it stupid to fight a losing battle, and more so dying foolishly.

The red knight decided their priority be information gathering. They had to blend in with the people and try to familiarize themselves with this world. Since it was in fact another realm, that means it could be as large as theirs, or even larger. They're tight in schedule, she was well aware, but being thrown into another realm with little knowledge, she figured there was probably a time difference between this world and theirs, otherwise, the Xenian gods would have been very specific and should have warned them of the urgency. Therefore, moving carefully and taking it slow would be best to prevent casualties. Elesis didn't even have a clue where to start looking for this 'Magi', so it was only logical to go about it old school - step by step.

Realizing how they're almost ignorant of the world they're in, Elesis sunk back on the ground with her face up. The images of her comrades popped one after another in her head, making her face scrunch up in worry. They were practically given no instructions at all, just plain 'bring the Magi to their world'. They weren't even told how to return and now they had to rendezvous somewhere, somehow.

"Need a break?" a man with fluffy black hair and gorgeous grey eyes blocked the redhead's view of the bright blue skies.

"Oh shut up." Elesis said brusquely, turning away from the man.

"These are all I got." Sieghart pulled up a long thick rope made up of intertwined vines and displayed before him one dead spotted deer and two dead white rabbits all tied up in their feet. "I didn't want to waste time so I killed them on the spot."

"Never heard of traps? Why did we even made a rope?" Elesis inspected their haul carefully.

"I don't know how to setup traps, and it's going to take longer if I did that. Besides, we're going to cook them now, right?" Sieghart tossed their food-to-be near the campfire Elesis prepared and immediately placed himself by the said campfire. He looked annoyed but refrained from mentioning it.

"Well, I guess traps just aren't a thing for someone like you." Elesis muttered to herself. She assumed Sieghart had lost his speed due to his injuries but he proved her mistaken. Catching two rabbits and one deer without tricks, Sieghart was not a man to be taken lightly. And to think he still had the accuracy to hit them in their vital spots to avoid destroying their meat, he was truly a genius.

After a while, the two were scarfing down the rabbit meat they roasted for lunch, saving the deer for dinner. They weren't aware of the exact time and only relied to the sun's position. Seeing how it's high up, nicely bright and hot, they suspected it was already late afternoon. They had to replenish their strength before blazing across the distant wilderness they're about to venture to. It also occurred to them how necessary it was to find a change of clothes and bandages, considering they were almost out of their supply. If they were lucky and prayed hard enough, perhaps a caravan would traverse the empty road they found earlier.

"Say, do you think the others are doing well?" Elesis finally voiced out the nagging feeling she'd been keeping. At first, she didn't want to doubt her comrades, but they're friends first before soldiers so her worries couldn't be quenched. Another thing was that she very well knew Sieghart's personality, and he'll definitely say something stupid to anger her, or just totally ignore her to piss her off.

Yet, Elesis still asked that same infuriating man.

Sieghart was taken aback by this realization, leaving him frozen in his seat. Elesis always made it a point to avoid speaking to him openly like that so it was a surprise that she suddenly turned to him, of all people, for comfort. Still, he understood how heavy it must have been weighing on the red knight's heart. Turning to him like that spoke volumes of how hard Elesis tried to bottle it all up until it forcefully spilled out.

"They're fine." Sieghart's tone was firm. He didn't mean to give Elesis false hope but his eagerness to remove Elesis's restlessness won over his own logic. "It's okay. They're fine." he repeated, not only to convince the red knight but also to convince himself.

Although Sieghart wouldn't admit it, he was also worried for the others. It was uncertain whether they landed in the same situation as them. Worse, they could have landed somewhere filled with people and were probably forced into combat in spite of their injuries. There was even a chance that some of them landed somewhere alone, making them more than confused. Sieghart wasn't too optimistic to expect them to be well, but at least he hoped they're just thrown into prison for observation and were kept alive.

Elesis was surprised - completely surprised that she caught herself gawking at the man. Sieghart looked at her with determination, and his firm tone left no room for argument. Though how unexpected it may be, her mind was easily put to ease. She believed in them, and she will keep her faith close and firm. She thought, this time around, they will all be well.

As the night fast approached, the two succeeded on tidying up their temporary encampment. The resources in the woods were limited, but it was good enough that there was water. Elesis left the deer roasting over their campfire while she helped Sieghart clean his wounds and give him new wrappings. His right arm suffered great damage, and frankly, he needed it in a crutch. Still, it didn't hinder the highlander much, for he was in fact ambidextrous, even considering how he's more adept with his left hand. But Elesis grew to become such a worrywart after experiencing hellish battles and her eyes were forcibly opened by harsh reality. Even with the knowledge of Sieghart's immortality, she still hated the thought of her comrades nearing death more often than they should.

"You need to stop frowning, red. You'll gain wrinkles if you keep that up." Sieghart lightly tapped the redhead's forehead. It was obvious to the man how intently Elesis was staring at his right arm. It didn't really bother the gladiator due to the fact that his regeneration rate was above average. He even predicted his broken arm would definitely be good by the next day after tomorrow and he'd be able to move it around first thing in the morning too.

"Yes, I know. Just don't overexert yourself." Elesis replied, resuming her work on Sieghart's injuries. It was true that most of them suffered heavily, and it shamed the red knight how little injury she gained from their last battle. Above all, she couldn't comprehend how Sieghart was so hellbent on protecting her, swiftly rushing to her aid whenever she got surrounded.

It was probably true, all of them would rush to any of their friends if they needed help. Sieghart himself saved Lire, Amy, and even Dio from a few pinches they got themselves into yet she couldn't help but notice how Sieghart would only rush to her even when it was clear she could still handle the situation, although she'd probably take a few blows in the process. Elesis, of course, quickly took action and scolded Sieghart for it but he would only shrug and ignore her, saying " _What difference does it make if they're in your radius? They're also in my radius so I got rid of them._ "

It was hard to argue with Sieghart, especially when he acted so nonchalant about the issue. Elesis was quick to raise her white flag against the man, but when it happened time and again, she found herself scolding him more often than not. Still, it didn't stop the gladiator in his shenanigans, and in their last battle, Sieghart sacrificed his right arm for her. This seriously hurt her pride, but despite that, she couldn't find the energy to scold Sieghart in their current situation. She had to clear her mind and focus on the mission at hand. Elesis knew how to organize her priorities, and it was definitely not the time to mull over a certain arrogant person's antics.

"Tomorrow morning, I think we should prepare a few lunches for our journey ahead. I want to follow the road we found and see where it will lead us. If we somehow encounter a caravan, I'd like to speak with them too." Elesis announced.

Night has fallen with the duo seated by the campfire once more, eating their dinner. Elesis declared that they make the most of their time to rest and replenish their energy for the next day. Still, she was uncertain of the danger the woods may offer them at night so she volunteered to stand guard for the first six hours to which Sieghart strongly objected.

"We're both exhausted. We should divide the guard duty and make it four hours each at best." Sieghart argued.

"You're the one who needs rest between the two of us. Stop complaining and oblige."

"I'm not so wounded that I need a whole six hours to rest, brat."

"And I'm not so weak that I need your help in all matters, Sieghart!" Elesis snapped. She glared daggers at him as she continued, "You kept throwing yourself for me! You keep shaming me!"

"Who said it was for you? I never intended to save your hide, kid! I was just making our fights swift!" Sieghart snarled back.

"Then why me?! I always made it a point to stay out of your way and you kept finding me! Tell me if it wasn't for me! Tell me!" Elesis was now shouting, her body tense, her hands shaking.

Sieghart only fell silent as he watched Elesis lose all composure she had. He couldn't find it in himself to snap back at her, let alone find an excuse to drive away her suspicions. In frustration, he clicked his tongue and averted his gaze from the red knight, mumbling to himself, "This isn't the time to argue."

Elesis faintly heard him, and it dawned on her how shameful she acted by then. She took a deep breath in hopes of calming her raging heart, and desperately searched for a recourse out of her mess. For a while, the two were silent until Elesis decided to break it.

"Guard duty will start by nine. I will stand guard first, after four hours, I'll wake you up." Elesis declared, her voice loud and clear making sure Sieghart heard every word.

Hearing Elesis's declaration, Sieghart appeared to be very pleased. With a huff, he remarked how Elesis have grown to be mature and accept logic to which the woman in question completely ignored. With that aside, Elesis went on explaining her plans throughout their mission.

"In short, no fighting. Is that it?" Sieghart was skeptical upon hearing Elesis's proposal. It was a sound idea, he admitted, but it felt too limiting.

"Yes. We'll have to focus on gathering information. Besides, we need to find the others too, so we can't make bold moves and get us killed in the process." Elesis calmly replied. She was confident she made the right decision and self-assured it'll convince Sieghart soon enough.

"But if we do as you said, it's just going to take longer to find the others. And anyway, how come you're the one suggesting this? It would've made more sense if this was Ronan's idea." Sieghart remarked, thinking about the royal guard's excellent behavior as a non-aggressive, calm and collected person. He often teased him to replace Elesis and become the standing leader for the Chase to which the humble man would simply refuse.

"May I remind you we don't have enough knowledge about this realm. Yes, I am pretty aggressive and I do like intense battles but I can be logical at times." Elesis contended, slightly frowning at the mention of the spell knight's name. She was well aware how Ronan was more fitting as a leader, and frankly, she respected the man's conduct towards things. Still, that doesn't mean she wasn't fit to lead, the two of them had different ways of doing things and that's that.

"Oh yeah? Well, that's okay with me. I don't like moving around too much anyway." Sieghart leaned back as he let his shoulders slack by the time he was done with his food. "Besides, I don't have a plan myself. I'll do whatever you want done."

Satisfied with Sieghart's answer, Elesis resumed eating. She knew it was limiting, and also risky considering the chance of the people tricking them into something they shouldn't be sticking their necks out.

"In the case of encountering hostiles, it's obvious that we'll have to fight." Elesis suddenly proclaimed.

Hostiles were everywhere, even during peace there were a few thugs and criminals walking around here and there. They might encounter such people and Elesis reminded Sieghart that 'no fighting' doesn't apply when it came to self-preservation.

"If I accidentally kill, though?" Sieghart sneered.

Elesis understood he was trying to provoke her, nonetheless, she bought it. "Then you kill. Nothing we can do about it."

Sieghart gave her a questioning look. He was shocked with the redhead's response. He expected her to snap back at him, but instead she took it seriously and answered calmly.

Elesis ignored him and kept to herself. When she was finished, she ordered Sieghart to go ahead and rest. Hearing no complaints from the man, she picked up her sword and began training. The red knight had decided to do her basic sword training while keeping guard duty, thus hitting two birds with one stone. Besides, she had no other way to keep herself busy other than that.

Once Elesis was sure Sieghart was deep asleep, she decided to venture the woods alone. After all, she did say she wanted to pack some meals before heading out. It would be more time-efficient to use her guard duty hours to hunting food and prepare them afterwards so they could begin their journey first thing in the morning. Confident that the woods posed little harm to the duo, she left Sieghart and went hunting.

Elesis was both surprised, and a bit disappointed when she found out how docile the woods were. There weren't a lot of hostile animals, and most of them were just the usual rabbits and deer. She was hoping for a bear, or a tiger but there was none. There weren't even snakes and this piqued her curiosity. What was so different with this realm and theirs? Musing over it didn't get her an answer, so Elesis went ahead and caught three rabbits and two ducks at a larger pond she found.

When Elesis was moving back to their camp, a chill went down her spine. The pressure was fairly strong at a kilometer radius from their tent. This alarmed Elesis, prompting her to run faster towards Sieghart's location. If he was under attack, it's going to be her fault for leaving her post.

As Elesis got closer, the ominous vibe grew stronger and stronger, and it strangely felt familiar. It was similar to Sieghart's rage and it baffled the red knight to find the gladiator standing alone by the campfire that is no longer lit left with a trail of smoke, clutching the red garb she previously tossed by the pond.

"Sieghart? What's going on?" Elesis inquired as she cautiously approached the man.

Upon hearing Elesis's voice, Sieghart turned his head and realized how he misunderstood the situation. The instant he saw the red knight in her red inner plate armor and black tights, the heavy atmosphere surrounding them was quickly dispelled.

"Oh, so you discarded this?" the gladiator held up the red cloth.

"Yeah, what about it?" Elesis grabbed the cloth and hung it over her shoulder. She held her gaze at the man.

"Nothing." Sieghart was quick to dismiss the issue and simply went back inside the tent. "So you went out hunting, huh? Be careful." he added before yawning and returning to his cot.

By then, Elesis understood the lack of hostile creatures earlier. Sieghart was emitting his uncanny aura that it scared most of the keen animals, leaving behind the weaker ones. She remained rooted in place, flabbergasted by the turn of events. To think that Sieghart would go such lengths to shame her, how infuriating! She found her temper steadily rising as time passed. She couldn't accept it. She wanted to shout in frustration but refrained from doing so. Puffing a few breaths, she set her hauls by the tent and resumed sword training, hoping to keep her head leveled.

Little did Elesis knew, Sieghart was pretty shaken when he saw her discarded garb by the pond. Not realizing Elesis went off by herself, he assumed some warrior of the other realm took off with her for various reasons. Sieghart boasted his keen perception when it came to hostiles, so it made him feel frustrated and agitated when his senses failed him, leaving himself unaware of his rage leaking out in his anger.

By the time his worries left him, Sieghart successfully fell asleep. Beating himself for his lack of faith towards Elesis's strength and abilities, he got tired and it lulled him to sleep. He needed that anyway, since he had been so restless since they arrived. He had to stay alert at all times to prevent getting ambushed and avoid surprise attacks. Ultimately, to keep Elesis from getting hurt.


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N:** I might have been unable to include this earlier so I'll post it now. This is a fanfiction for a reason. It means, everything here is not necessarily canon, or real. I don't even own the characters, just the idea and plot itself. Thanks!_

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 **Wicked Game of Chase**

Dawn was upon them when Elesis woke up. She found Sieghart sitting by the tent's entrance, asleep. It seemed he didn't even bother watching the place for hostiles, nonetheless, Elesis let it slide knowing Sieghart's a sloth.

The red knight walked up by the pond and washed her face, the cool water completely slapping her awake. She gazed at the heavens, admiring the beauty of the world they were currently in. The war in Aernas took so long that even she couldn't recall how their sky actually looked like at times of peace. Marveling at the peaceful view of nature, she was inspired by this new world and renewed her resolve for saving Aernas.

"Ah, you're awake." Sieghart yawned. His sentence sounded more like an inquiry than a statement.

"Yes, I'm awake. You should hurry up and wake yourself. We'll be getting a move on as soon as I finished packing our meals." Elesis patiently said as she gathered their food in a pile and wrapped them in large leaves, ultimately tying the whole thing in thick vines.

Sieghart went to the pond and washed his face. Once done, he helped Elesis prepare and finally, the duo went out of the woods.

Following the road to the west, the two walked at a steady pace. They had to act like average travelers to avoid unnecessary attention. Sieghart hid his and Elesis's weapons in his black coat, wrapping them together with their packed lunch. He carried their baggage on his shoulder while Elesis carried their water. The road was long and empty, but they believed it wouldn't hurt to be too cautious.

The duo have probably walked a mile or so when they noticed a caravan at a distance. This perked up the two and immediately hastened their pace, catching up to the said vehicle.

"Um, excuse me!" Elesis shouted as she ran towards the caravan.

Upon hearing the gal's voice, the driver halted and looked for the source. Seeing how the redhead excitedly ran towards him, he couldn't help but chuckle.

"Oh, are you travelers?" the good driver asked.

"Yes. If I may, where is this caravan headed?" Elesis replied.

"I'm traveling to the south. I'm a merchant. Is there anything you'd like to buy?" the driver gently pulled back the curtains of his carriage, revealing various goods in his custody. "I also have some edibles for sale, if you'd like."

"Then I'll have some fruit." Sieghart voiced.

Elesis quickly elbowed the gladiator. "Um, sorry but I don't think we have the money for your items, good sir."

Sieghart recoiled from her but immediately recovered. He then pulled out a bag of gold pieces he's been carrying since their last mission. Opening the bag, the gladiator displayed them in front of the merchant.

"How's this? Think it's enough for a couple of fruits?"

Upon seeing the gold, the merchant visibly drooled. It was obvious he wanted those gold coins, and this confirmed Sieghart's suspicion regarding the realm's currency.

"It seems we can make a deal with this." Sieghart smirked. He pulled away the bag from the merchant's reach and proposed a deal. "How about giving us a ride to the city? I still have another bag of this."

In a heartbeat, the merchant went inside the carriage and swiftly tidied up his items for sale, making a division so that a space was available for two people to ride in. Not a minute has passed and he was out again, smiling pleasantly as he offered them a seat inside his caravan.

Soon, the duo were seated inside a slightly cramped cart. It was a relief how trusting the merchant was considering Sieghart just lied about carrying another bag of gold coins. Still, they were lucky to have the same currency as in their world.

"To think gold pieces were also used in this realm. It's good there are similarities." Elesis said, almost as if speaking to herself.

"I had to confirm it so I asked if he could sell us something, but I didn't expect him to readily agree to this arrangement." Sieghart sighed. He was glad it worked out but he still felt suspicious with the merchant's demeanor.

It was almost sundown when the cart came to a stop. The merchant called out to the duo declaring they had arrived in the port of Aktia. He told them they were supposed to ride a ship and will be crossing the seas.

"Sir, we're actually foreigners to this..." Elesis paused, thinking of a more suitable word other than town or port. "Um, place, so we would like to know where it's best to gather information." she screwed that up.

"Oh, are you from a provincial city? Which kingdom did you come from?"

Elesis was out of answers. How was she supposed to know the names of the kingdoms in that world?

"Actually, we just wanted to visit this kingdom's capital city." Sieghart interjected. Despite his hesitation for words, his voice came out smoothly.

The merchant looked confused. He then studied the two by their outfits and came to a conclusion. "Looking at you two, you look like fighters. You mean to visit the Colosseum, right?"

The duo were caught off guard by then. The man implied their armor were somehow similar to a certain nation's military suit. They didn't really mean to go to an arena and fight but if it was used as a sort of entertainment, it meant crowds of people, and information.

"Yes, you got us." Sieghart faked a smile. "We'd like to visit the Colosseum. Do you think you can give us directions?"

"You'll be taking a ship headed to northwest first and then a caravan going to the imperial capital. If you take a ship now, you'll be in Reim after five days. To get to its capital, however, will take you four more days."

"I see. Thank you, mister." Sieghart pulled out his bag of gold and took out a handful. "Since we're separating from here, I think this should be good enough to cover for our ride." he gave the man five gold pieces in total, holding his fake smile as the two got off the cart.

The merchant didn't complain, instead he was even grateful. He bade them farewell and wished them good luck, to which Elesis kindly returned.

"I saved you back there, red. Next time, don't ask questions if you don't have enough hints how to direct them."

The red knight kept silent. She couldn't argue with Sieghart in regards to that. She admitted she was too hasty asking questions.

Later, the two found themselves in a rather lively commotion. It sounded like the people were in a riot, and they couldn't help but check and see, not expecting to witness such violence.

They didn't understand any of it. There was a body of a woman lying headless adjacent to the seemingly military men, while the people around fell silent as they stared incredulously at the young boy of dark blue hair holding a human's head right in front of children securely tied in ropes.

Almost immediately though, another man barged into the scene, one with short golden hair. Angry, he grabbed the blue-haired boy by his collar and shouted, "Hakuryuu... What the hell have you done?!"

The boy addressed as Hakuryuu remained calm. He looked at the blonde man and simply replied, "What are you asking? I executed the captain of the pirates. It was the only way to calm down these people, and the people of this town wanted it as well. We were sent to exterminate the pirates for the sake of the people of this city in the first place, right?"

"But that's..." Elesis couldn't help but mutter under her breath. She'd been into war and regardless of age, violence hounded all kinds of people. There were no exceptions, but executing a person whose will to fight back was gone, though at times couldn't be helped, was something she disliked.

Sieghart didn't want to keep watching. In fact, he just thought it boring to watch some random drama in the street. That sort of beheading wasn't anything new to the gladiator. He'd seen worse ways to kill for it to have any effect on him. Sieghart was only concerned with their time and didn't want to waste it.

"Let's just proceed and look for a ship headed to Reim."

"Sieghart, if the people in this world are this violent, do you think we'd be able to avoid a battle?" Elesis looked at the man with ruby eyes telling her endless worries.

The gladiator paused for a moment. Knowing Elesis, Sieghart understood her worry was for the others who might have encountered a man such as the dark blue-haired boy. Still, the highlander was confident that their comrades will be able to overcome that kind of ordeal.

"You worry too much." he sighed.

"We don't know the strength of that man, let alone his skills. You think I'd be this worried if I could gauge his capabilities?" the redhead grumpily explained, angered by Sieghart's indifference.

True enough, and as strange as it may seem, Sieghart himself couldn't grasp the young boy's abilities, not even the civilians present in the area. He could guess, yes, but guessing just by the appearance of one's opponent could lead to disastrous results. He concluded it must be another 'bonus' of the foreign lands and looking at the bright side, if it was true for them then the same could be said for the 'other realm's' residents.

"We will avoid battle." Sieghart finally said, decisively exhaling as he began to move away from the scene.

"Wha- Hey, Sieghart! Where do you think you're going?!" Elesis scrambled over to Sieghart, struggling to keep her voice down to avoid unwanted attention. "Don't just suddenly walk off like that. Or if you have something in mind, at least tell me."

Sieghart glanced over Elesis's flustered face. This made the gladiator giggle as he made his way around the crowd then to a nearby ship.

"Hey, what's so funny?"

"You." Sieghart smirked, nudging the redhead.

"Be glad we're in a crowded place. Otherwise, I would have -" Elesis halted speaking when she realized what the gladiator wanted done.

Sieghart raised a hand to get the attention of one man standing by the ship as they approached him. Upon acknowledgment of their presence, Sieghart explained to the man how they wanted a ship that can carry them to Reim, and asked for the price and travel conditions while he was at it.

"It's going to be a long journey, and we expect to encounter a few thieves and pirates along the way but we have mercenaries on board too. The pay would be a little more expensive though." the man cleared his throat before adding, "It's going to be five gold pieces each."

"Hey, that's too expensive!" Elesis burst. "What do you say if we serve as security, too? We're actually heading for the Colosseum."

The man blinked. "Well, you do both look like warriors. Still, you're passengers. It's going to be five gold pieces."

"Two!"

"Five!"

"Two!"

"Okay, four then."

"Two!"

"Three it is, then!"

"Deal." Elesis grinned triumphantly.

The man was obviously controlling his temper. Still, he managed to stay composed and flatly declared, "Then you'll be staying at the ship's deck. I pray that the sun be harsh on you." his lips curled into a smile as he watched their faces contort into a frown.

"But we're paying gold pieces! GOLD PIECES!" Elesis complained, stressing the fact that it was gold they're paying.

"You're too stubborn to comply with our rules here so deal with it."

Elesis was about to burst once more when a hand lightly tapped her head. Sieghart smiled at her and told her to just ask around some more. There were a number of ships docked in the port anyway, so it was worth their time to ask around and find the best deal they could get.

Elesis agreed, shooting a glare back at the man before following Sieghart to the next ship.

The sky was already orange by the time the duo were met with a good deal, only the boat was leaving tomorrow morning so they'll have to find a place to stay. Asking around also helped them to get a picture of the place. There were two ships heading south, to which they were told was the Sindria Kingdom. They gathered it was such a great and powerful nation considering how it was only recently founded, and that its king was one charismatic fellow. One ship was headed for Heliohapt and another to Parthevia both towards the west. They were even told that beyond the boundary of Aktia, there was this newly founded kingdom too, but was a special one, for it was exclusive to magicians alone called Magnostadt. And that traveling by land towards far east, they would reach a large military nation considered to be one of the most powerful called Kou Empire.

It then became apparent to them that the three kingdoms: Reim, Kou and Sindria, were the most prominent in the world and that the place they were headed to was the world's largest nation protected by a great priestess said to be a Magi. This knowledge piqued their interest and told themselves it was the right decision to head for Reim. Unknown to the two how there were at least four Magi present in that world, they decided it was the Reim's priestess they needed.

Nightfall, the duo found themselves at a rather lively inn. After getting a room for two, they decided to eat at the inn and gather a few more information while they were at it. Elesis did most of the job, talking to people and taking notes of their style of clothing. Although she understood it was fine to proceed with their current getup, the fact that their armors were damaged bothered her, prompting her to ask for the presence of an armory and weaponry nearby. Unfortunately, the port had none but assured her they would be able to find one in Reim.

Elesis managed to replenish their supplies while they were out asking around the pier, although she was ashamed how it easily slipped her mind to buy a change of clothes to easily blend in with the residents. Still, carrying a few luggage was to their advantage. She also revealed to Sieghart she was carrying some money with her too: two bags of gold and one bag of silver. Sieghart was pleased by this and forced on Elesis the duty of managing their expenses while he take the liberty to spend most of his to which the redhead was furious.

Not long after, the two were suddenly struck by a strange sensation of awareness, fervently pulling their heads to turn towards a certain place where a warm and kind presence was emanating. Following their instincts, they looked over the entrance of the inn to find three people walking in and taking a seat by the center of the room. The young man with blonde hair was familiar to the two, recalling the appalling event that took place a little earlier. Together with him was a young girl with red hair and red eyes, almost resembling Elesis if it weren't for the markings on her eyes, and a short, small boy with long braided blue hair. They couldn't pinpoint which of them were calling their attention, and they also didn't understand why they found themselves magnetized to them. Their eyes glided from the blonde man, to the girl and then settled at the small boy. Uncertain, it seemed the small boy was the one carrying such presence, and they couldn't help but be attracted to it.

"You felt it too?" Elesis whispered.

"Yeah. It's confusing but, I'm interested with that kid." Sieghart whispered back.

The two carefully studied the trio, watching them fool around, eat and celebrate. They looked like a lively bunch, making Elesis miss their gang. Minutes later, after a song began playing, the three stood up and started dancing. It was a nice scene which relaxed the two, making them slack their bodies and rest their minds. The duo watched silently as more people got up to dance, making the inn brighter and livelier, unknown to them the wide smiles already decorating their faces, temporarily forgetting their worries and weariness, enjoying their time for a moment.

Like everything else, it came to an end, and the trio began to leave. It seemed they would come back to the inn as they also took a room and left their luggage there, but the duo refrained from following them and decided to get prepared for their journey ahead. Elesis bought two more jugs of water and a few packed meals. She also went out of her way to buy some blankets and coats to protect them from the sun and the cold on the ship.

Sieghart stayed in their room sprawled across the bed, delighted to be able to sleep in a comfy mattress for a change. But his mind was plagued by the strange encounter they had with the trio. He figured there was some kind of connection to their mission as to why both of them were affected by the kid's presence. They weren't intimidated, nor were they repelled but instead, they were attracted to him, like he was some sort of deity, an idol, a god.

Sieghart wracked his brain up on the strange occurrence, beating himself whether it was possible for that world to have multiple Magi in existence at once. If the Reim's priestess was a Magi, there was no doubt in his mind she was their target, yet that strange kid, looking so weak and flimsy easily caught their attention without his notice. He was certain it was unintentional. He watched the kid since they entered the room until they left, but he didn't even try to check his surroundings and had his guard completely down.

Eitherway, Sieghart decided it was best to meet with this priestess first. She was their only lead to this Magi person, and perhaps the lady might be even willing to help them and share information, to which the gladiator actually doubted. Still, it couldn't hurt to be a little optimistic at times, although he wouldn't really get his hopes up.

And then, the morning they would depart came. It hadn't occurred to them the sheer number of people going to Reim and were shocked to see a long line towards the ship. Placing themselves by the tail of it, the duo were met with the trio once again. It seemed they were bidding their farewells to each other, implying they go separately from thereof.

"Next time we meet, I will be so strong that you will be surprised!" the young blonde boy proudly stated, holding his fist up in excitement.

"Yeah, me too!" the blue-haired brat replied in an equally excited tone.

"Then I..will become even stronger that I will not lose to you." the red-haired girl simply stated, seeming more or less excited.

Sieghart decided to ignore their antics while Elesis was moved by their display of strong relations. Later, the kid pulled off his turban.

"Goodbye Alibaba, Mor! We will meet again!" he shouted as he suddenly shot upwards in the air, swiftly flying through the skies.

Witnessing such a bizarre scene shocked the duo. To think that the twerp had that kind of sorcery, they were pleasantly surprised. It seemed the world they were in was one with magic all over the place, as it was clear that the people in the area were not as shocked to see a flying carpet.

"Wonderful, we're at some place where flying carpets exist." Sieghart quipped.

"They did mention about that kingdom exclusive for magicians." Elesis was left in awe as she watched the flying figure shrink from her sight.

"Violet would be very happy to hear that." Sieghart smirked at the thought of Arme flying around on her wand.

"No doubt." Elesis brought out a map she managed to get last night from a merchant. "Let's see here, from the direction he flew he'd be going up north. Oh, Magnostadt. It's that kingdom for magicians."

"He's a mage then. I never would have known."

"Probably a good one too, considering how his presence alone stirred us last night."

Sieghart grew quiet at the mention of last night's strange event. It still baffled him how a single child magician was able to pull their senses into him. He had this nagging feeling that they were missing something, and that fact didn't sit well with him.

"Hey, is something bothering you? Sieghart?" Elesis peeked at the gladiator's face. His abrupt silence at times worried the red knight and seeing the frown on his face only reinforced her suspicion.

"Nothing." Sieghart quickly replied. When it came to suspicions, Elesis was rather sharp and he didn't want to stir things up at the moment. He decided to forget about it and focus on the Reim's priestess for the time being. "I was only thinking about what the priestess looks like."

"I see."

Soon they were aboard the ship which immediately departed once all passengers were aboard. The two stayed in their cabin for most of the time. At rare occasions during their voyage, Sieghart was forced to the ship's canteen to eat instead of Elesis taking their food back to their cabin. The gladiator never really fancied going out of his way for trivial matters but once he's hungry and their packed meals were all finished, he had no choice in the matter, especially after spending his own money for wine and expensive foods back at the port.

At the fifth day, Elesis decided to go out to the deck for a change. Since it was the last day of their journey on ship, they were bound to arrive at Reim anytime soon and Elesis wanted to get off the ship soon as they landed. Despite Sieghart's protests, Elesis managed to drag him out with her. There they basked themselves in the warm morning sun. The cool breeze was refreshing despite its salty taste. There were a few people lounging at the deck and near the bow, they found the young blonde man stretching his arms alone.

Elesis was fairly interested with the man since he saw them together with his two companions. Recalling how she was awed by the kid who was previously with him, she decided to talk to the person and ask him for information if he would be so kind to oblige.

The red knight walked with gray, determined footsteps towards the man to which Sieghart silently followed suit. He wouldn't admit it, but he was interested with the guy too, especially the moment he saw his short sword. Still, he decided to leave the conversation to Elesis.

"Hi there." Elesis simpered as the man turned his attention to her.

"Uh, hello." he awkwardly smiled back, seemingly confused.

"I'm Elesis, and this is Sieghart. We're travelers." Elesis began, gesturing at Sieghart at the mention of his name. "We saw you yesterday and thought it was nice to meet you here. We didn't expect you to be heading for Reim too."

"Oh, is that right?" the young man chuckled lightly, placing a hand behind his head. He was shocked to be talking with strangers in an abrupt turn of events. "I'm Alibaba. It's nice to meet you." gaining back his composure, he straightened himself up and extended a hand.

Elesis took his hand and shook it lightly. "The pleasure's ours."

"So, it looks to me you're armed. Are you mercenaries?" Alibaba inquired, staring openly at their battered armor.

"Sort of. We're visiting the Colosseum."

"The Colosseum? Does that mean you're gladiators?"

Sieghart raised a brow at the man's question. He didn't think there were gladiators in that world, and it piqued his curiosity as to how they fight, their style and their level of skill and strength.

"No, we're just..visiting." Elesis weakly replied, holding a smile in hopes of distracting the man from her obvious hesitation. "What about you, sir Alibaba?"

"Me? I'll go there to train!"

"Does that mean you're a gladiator too?" Sieghart couldn't suppress his curiosity and spoke up.

"Um, not really. At least not yet. I will become one, though, once I get there. To Reim's Colosseum!"

"Are you going to compete there?"

"Maybe. I'm still not sure. I might, though."

"Great! I hope you're a good fighter, kid. We might meet each other at the arena."

"Sieghart!" Elesis glared at the man. "We-never-planned-to-compete-in-there." she hastily muttered under breath.

"Relax." Sieghart only smirked before looking back at Alibaba. "So, kid, want to spar?"

"Are you serious? But we just met." Alibaba was taken aback by the sudden offer.

"I do hate training but, I'll make this one time an exception. You have a good sword on your waist, kid. Want to have a bet?"

"Sieghart, quit it!" Elesis was now furious. She understood that Sieghart was just trying to kill time and play around but she felt it was wrong to suddenly challenge a man out of nowhere, especially not Alibaba who was nice enough to answer their questions without second thoughts.

"Oh come on, red, don't be such a spoilsport."

"It's okay, miss Elesis. It's good to move our muscles once in a while." Alibaba grinned at the red knight whilst holding up his sword in a manner that was foreign to the duo. He placed his left arm behind his back and the other against his chest holding his sword upright.

"Interesting." Sieghart grinned as he grabbed his gladius, holding it in a way that the blade was pointing backwards, as if he was dragging it. He took up no other stance and just plainly stood straight before the man.

This shocked Alibaba. He had never encountered any swordsman who bared so many openings he could literally lunge straight at him and stab him in the chest. The way he held his weapon led Alibaba to wonder whether the man before him was an actual swordsman or not. Still, the fact that Sieghart challenged him first meant he was at least confident with himself, and with that in mind, he couldn't afford to let his guard down.

Seeing as the two were unstoppable by that moment, Elesis decided to step aside and watch. It wouldn't hurt to let Sieghart play around for a while, since the pier was already in their sight. She figured they'll stop in the instant the captain announces their arrival.

The two were frozen stiff for a while. None of them seemed to be eager to make the first move though Alibaba was itching to lunge forward. Sieghart caught onto that and decided to taunt the brat.

"Yeah, you should just go ahead and attack if you have the courage."

Alibaba was astonished to hear him say that. He understood he was being mocked, but it also revealed to him that Sieghart was baiting him. He stole a glance at the man's companion, and seeing how the redhead was totally detached watching them, he raised his guard up and decided to act first and see what happens.

The young swordsman thrust forward in a flash, certain he would hit his opponent's chest, only to be dodged. Sieghart took a step back, slightly tilting his body to the left before swinging his sword forward to meet the blonde man's neck.

Alibaba's reflexes were fast, swiftly adjusting to the situation and successfully blocking the highlander's blade. He then pulled back and took up his stance to prepare for his next move while Sieghart remained rooted in place, standing casually as if nothing happened.

"You've got speed, kid." Sieghart stated in a derisive tone.

Alibaba paid no mind at the man's remarks. He tried again, thrusting forward only to be countered this time. The man's movements were too subtle it almost looked to him he wasn't moving at all, and once he closed in on him, he makes wide movements that leaves him open for counterattacks, yet Alibaba's sword failed to reach him. He couldn't comprehend how such an erratic swordplay was neutralizing his own. It was as if there's an invisible force driving him away from his target.

"Don't you think that's enough?" Sieghart announced, lifting his sword to his shoulder. "Stop gauging my skill and fight seriously. I wouldn't want to accidentally cut off your head, you know." Sieghart's arrogance knew no place, and even in the face of a complete unknown enemy, he had the gall to mock him.

Alibaba only chuckled at himself. Getting a good grasp of his opponent's capability was basic rule to ensure victory in a battle, and Alibaba understood it well. However, the enemy before him was simply outrageous but talented. It was clear he had skills, and he knew he hadn't seen anything yet. He'd prefer to be more cautious, for he was certain by then that the killing intent he felt from Sieghart was genuine.

"Okay, that's enough." Elesis intervened. She stood between them, holding both hands against their faces. "If your battle grows intense, it will cause unease to the passengers. Consider your surroundings, you jerks." she announced, her tone somewhat restrained as she specifically glared daggers at the highlander.

Elesis turned her head at Alibaba, who in turn visibly flinched upon meeting her ruby eyes. "I apologize for my companion's behavior. I'm sure he didn't mean everything he just said." she explained, bowing her head thereafter.

Alibaba accepted, and even felt embarrassed for the girl. "Actually, I'm sorry for getting carried away." he awkwardly replied, scratching the back of his head.

Later, Elesis turned her head to Sieghart, who in turn winced upon the thought of getting scolded thoroughly. The man patiently waited for the red knight to speak up, bracing himself from the possible surge of her high-pitched voice shouting over his ears.

"HELP!"

Before Elesis could even begin her admonishment, a wail for help caught their attention. They were too absorbed with their light banter that they didn't even realize they were already at the port, and that another ship adjacent to them appeared to be under attack.

"Are those thieves?" Alibaba was quick on his feet, running towards the other side of the ship to get a good look across.

"Meh, nothing we can do about that." Sieghart boredly stated, putting away his weapon and lifting up his baggage. "If anything, we should hurry up and disembark. Otherwise, we'd be victims later."

"Huh? But you're a good swordsman!" Alibaba hurried back to his previous place and carried his own luggage. He then followed the duo who were already crossing the floorboards to the pier. "You can totally roast them!"

"I appreciate your praises, kid. But you see, we just make it a point to avoid meddling in affairs that didn't concern us." Sieghart flatly replied, his tone devoid of spirit, sounding lazy and disinterested.

"He's correct, sir Alibaba. We'd like to avoid trouble if we can." Elesis seconded.

"But..." Alibaba was lost for words. It was true, it didn't concern them. And he understood where they were coming from, but it just didn't sit right with him. If he sees trouble, and it was possible for him to help then he will lend them a hand.

Completely disregarding his new acquaintances, he proceeded to rush towards the other ship. Even if he was alone, he was confident he'd be able to handle them. After all, he did possess a metal vessel, and even if he hadn't completely mastered his magoi yet, he's ten times more skilled and powerful than the average criminal.

Elesis took notice of Alibaba's action but decided to leave him be. She did feel guilty for turning a blind eye to civilians in peril, but they weren't in a position so leisurely that they could stop and lend a hand to anyone they meet. They were not just foreigners to the land, but to the entire world itself. They don't know their culture, their rules, their sorcery and everything else. They weren't even familiar with his swordplay.

Before the two could even gain distance from the ship, Elesis heard a cry of a girl. By the sound of her voice, she was just a child, and it pained the red knight when she heard her shout 'brother' whilst crying for help. The child was asking for someone to help her brother.

Before she knew it, Elesis was running back to the ship. Firmly holding her sword in both hands, she rushed to the child's rescue. Soon she found herself at the deck of the ship, fighting thieves and thugs alike while she frantically searched for the source of the voice.

"Oh, miss Elesis! You came to help!"

It was Alibaba who swiftly made quick work with a few thieves surrounding him.

"I heard a child's voice. Is she okay?" Elesis quickly dodged a few arrows before performing a mighty swing, felling two men.

"Yes, I think I heard her earlier." Alibaba replied whilst defeating one thief after another.

"Then let's finish this quick and rescue her."

"Got it!"

Sieghart was peeved getting dragged into that mess. He didn't bother joining the fight and instead, patiently waited for Elesis to come down the ship. It was annoying how the redhead was too soft when it came to people needing help. He wasn't heartless, he was only loyal to Aernas, and nothing more. If they were citizens of Aernas, he wouldn't even think twice to jump in but they were residents of the 'other realm' and he was detached to the world.

Another thing was the presence of Alibaba at the scene. He wouldn't readily show off his skills to a potential threat, let alone help him. He was interesting, he admitted, but that was it. For the time being, it seemed the two made a tag team and were allies, so he wasn't worried with Elesis getting stabbed in the back by the blonde brat. If, by the off-chance it did happen, he could easily kill the brat and find a doctor to treat her, but the thought of Elesis getting hurt displeased him. Still, he had to show the red knight that he has faith in her abilities, so he decided to just wait and see what happens.


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N:** I'm a shitty author so I'd like to know what you think of this so far. Please, however rude it may be, help me out and point out my mistakes and stuff. I'd love to get insights from everyone, thank you! Also, I update painfully slow. The reason I'm able to create this much in a single day is a miracle! Haha..._

* * *

 **Wicked Game of Chase**

"Thank you very much for saving us!"

The two were quickly bombarded by thanks and praises after they wiped out the thieves. They were even offered to a banquet, to which Elesis humbly declined.

"Huh? Are you in such a hurry, miss Elesis?" Alibaba asked, completely stumped by the red knight's decision.

"Yes. And I wasn't even expecting something in return. I rescued them out of my own volition." Elesis solemnly explained.

Touched by the red knight's righteousness, Alibaba decided to refuse as well and asked Elesis to let him join them in their journey.

Elesis was torn between letting Alibaba join them because he's a resident of that realm, or not _for the same reason_. She couldn't decide whether the man was trustworthy but it was obvious he could carry his own weight and may be useful to them.

"Well, I guess we could use your help." Elesis finally said. "Actually, we're foreigners to these lands. If you could guide us to the capital city, then we'd be grateful to have you on our party."

Sieghart didn't bother to object. He actually wanted to ask the guy to go with them in the first place, hoping that he may give them valuable information regarding the world they were currently in without suspecting anything.

"Well then, let's go find a caravan!" Alibaba was a cheerful fellow and Elesis quickly took a liking to him as he reminded her of Arme. Still, she reminded herself to stay alert as they couldn't afford to give the man their full trust lest they wanted to suffer betrayal.

"Alibaba, right? Where were you before arriving here? Could you tell us about your travels?" Sieghart wasted no time interrogating the blonde once they got inside the cart.

"Well, recently I was in Sindria. It's a nice place." Alibaba was more than willing to share his wisdom. He even went to such extents in describing the places he's been in full-length, mentioning the beauty of Balbadd, the existence of Qishan and his search for a certain nomadic tribe in-between his storytelling, also adding his companions - who he addressed as his close friends - to which the duo found a bit tedious but somehow entertaining and informative.

"How about you guys, where were you before you decided to visit the Colosseum?"

Alibaba was genuinely curious. He voiced his interest clearly by pointing out how their armor looked alien to him although there were a few parts similar to a few nations he was familiar with. He also expressed his interest on Sieghart's swordplay, to which the gladiator inwardly groaned in cold sweat.

"Sieghart and I are from a certain tribe called Chase. We don't really have a country or a specific place to call home. We tend to travel the world to hone our skills with the sword." Elesis lied on the spot. She was praising herself in her head for speaking in an even tone despite her hurried structure of a somehow believable scenario.

Even Sieghart was amazed with Elesis's excellent display of invented stories.

"Hold on. Don't tell me," Alibaba paused for a moment, his face suddenly looked serious.

The duo were nervous at his next words. They figured he might have suspected them for lying and would pay dearly for it. With that in mind, the two prepared themselves for battle.

"You're actually the Yambala Gladiators, right?!" the man excitedly declared, holding up his fists in the air as if he just triumphed over a vicious ordeal.

The two were dumbfounded. They didn't know how to respond to him, let alone what to feel about it. The man was just too innocent it hurt them.

All kidding aside, Elesis didn't want to thread on dangerous waters so she decided to 'not lie' somehow. "No, we're not the gladiators you speak of."

Alibaba was clearly dejected by this but pulled himself together, nonetheless. "That's okay, I'm bound to meet other tribes who wishes to hone their skills after all. So, where are your other tribesmen?"

"Well, we decided to separate for the time being. We had differences in interest, and decided to explore the world separately. We plan to meet soon somewhere." Elesis patiently explained, almost as if she was telling it to herself. The red knight couldn't say they were lost and that they had comrades lost as well somewhere and they didn't even know where to begin searching for them.

"I see. That's cool! Your tribe sounds very strong considering how independent you are. I assume some of them traveled in pairs as well?"

"Yes. Others might be all by themselves too." Elesis couldn't mask her worry. Despite this, the blonde didn't pry anymore.

"Well, I hope we meet again somewhere. I want to meet your whole tribe and I'll introduce you to my friends, too!"

The duo were grateful at how accepting and merry the young man can be. They needed that kind of atmosphere the most to stay sane, at least. This put them at ease, and slowly found themselves opening up to the man little by little as they spent more time together.

Three days and they were nearing the capital city of Reim. The trio had been relaxed since their journey went smoothly, unbeknownst to them the tragedy that lay ahead.

Under the sickening rays of the dazzling sun, the cart came to a sudden halt as they were ambushed by bandits. There were quite a number of them, and quite a few held different varieties of magic tools. This took Alibaba by surprise as he thought the occurrence of bandits possessing magic tools were low especially when they were that close to Remano.

The three brandished their weapons and readied themselves to fight. They couldn't afford to lose their lives nor their belongings as they still had a whole day ahead of them. They were at a disadvantage in terms of numbers and force. The bandits had horses, and were familiar to the terrain while only Alibaba out of the three had more or less knowledge of the place.

Alibaba began with a swift movement, cutting the reins of the ones riding horses. Elesis supported him, taking out each bandit who fell out of balance and were taken by surprise. Sieghart, on the other hand, took care of the bandits on foot, his blade slicing the air swiftly, almost mercilessly. He took no chances, drawing his sword back to make another swing in the air, making sure to sweep away anyone foolish enough to enter his radius.

Almost backed to a corner, the bandits began to use their magic tools. One of them spit fire while another called forth lightning. Sieghart and Elesis were forced to pull back, while Alibaba easily dodged and advanced, taking out the one with fire.

"Sorry, Alibaba, but we're unfamiliar with their magic!" Elesis shouted amidst the clanking of blades and metals.

"They're not magic! They're just magic tools!" Alibaba shouted back whilst dodging a wind magic. "These people doesn't seem too used to them yet. If you see the things they carry pointed at you, just dodge it like how you dodge a blade!"

"You mean, other than their weapons?! Are they magicians?!" Sieghart yelled as he drove his gladius to the ground, using it as levitation to kick back an opponent rushing to him.

"No! But! Okay! Think of it that way!" Alibaba was struggling to raise his voice as he blocked multiple daggers that flew his way. It seems they hadn't just magic tools in possession, but also advanced weaponry.

"This is bad." Alibaba muttered to himself as he saw at a distance three people with crossbows. "We should escape!" he yelled, trying to clear a path.

The two readily agreed. As genuine foreigners to the land, they knew how foolish it would be to fight stubbornly against people who clearly had the upper hand.

Still, they were surrounded. They weren't even given room to breathe. They were forced to fight while looking for an opening to retreat.

When their situation looked hairy, Sieghart decided to use some of his skills. Gesturing at Elesis to evade, he began to drag his gladius on the ground. The friction between his blade and the ground generated sparks.

 **Flame Sword!**

Swinging his blade upwards, a huge purple energy wave was sent forward, sweeping the bandits in a straight line. The force was so strong it even reached the archers on the back.

"Wow, that's amazing!" Alibaba commented as he witnessed Sieghart's display of his prowess with the gladius. This fired him up and pushed him to fight harder.

"I guess I have to do my part. Here I go!" Elesis mumbled to herself as she tightened her grip on her sword.

 **Sonic Wave!**

Performing a wide horizontal slash, Elesis shot a powerful energy wave from her sword, sweeping away the crowd that surrounded her.

Alibaba was quick with his feet, his technique flawless. He was able to cut down one bandit after another, beating them first before they could even use their magic tools. They swiftly turned the tables and were holding their ground perfectly.

"Retreat! Retreat!" with a whistle, a man with an axe who used a magic tool that called forth lightning suddenly yelled. This signaled the remaining bandits to turn back and run.

The trio decided not to go after them as they already wasted time and energy. They didn't let their guard down, and watched carefully as their enemies scurried away from them.

Still, they weren't prepared for what was coming next.

The reason for the man calling out to retreat was because a flock of desert crows were beckoned to come forth and attack. Soon, four ravens dove down from the sky. The three managed to dodge them, but Elesis and Alibaba got grazed. This angered the gladiator, prompting him to kill the birds with two mighty uppercuts engulfed in purple flames.

Seeing Sieghart unscathed and was even able to take down the crows, the bandit-archers launched a barrage of arrows, a number of them successfully hitting the man. Certain that the gladiator was finally neutralized, the bandits came back. Although Sieghart failed to understand their motive, he stood his ground despite the hits he had taken.

"Ah, what a shame. The Fanalis could have gotten us a load of money." the man with an axe announced grudgingly. He looked dismayed soon as he laid his eyes upon the three.

Sieghart didn't understand it. What was a Fanalis?

"Oh no, miss Elesis!" Alibaba frantically yelled as he ran to her aid. Before the red knight lost her balance and fell forward, the blonde caught her.

The gladiator was mortified as he watched Elesis go down on her knees, weak and feeble. Her stomach bled steadily and there was also an arrow stuck to her left shoulder. The color of her skin was beginning to pale, and this struck fear onto the gladiator's heart.

Good thing Alibaba was attentive despite enduring quite a few arrows himself, quickly tearing the fabric off his clothes and wrapped it around the red knight's stomach, exerting direct pressure to stop the bleeding. The blonde was keen to minimize the girl's blood loss.

"You bastard!" Sieghart screamed in anger. He still managed to lunge forward and attack his opponent, swinging his gladius in front of him in preparation for a final move.

The man met Sieghart's blade with his axe, halting him from executing his attack. "Whatever. Loot their carriage, men!" he decisively declared.

"Stop it, sir Sieghart! Let's retreat! We need miss Elesis to get treated right away!" Alibaba shouted as he carried the red knight in his arms.

But his words fell on deaf ears.

Sieghart forced a heavy downward blow, breaking the enemy's weapon in the process. The man fell back, almost losing his balance from the recoil.

"You just signed your death warrant." a ghastly ominous pulsing purple light enveloped Sieghart. The atmosphere surrounding him drastically changed, making everyone present feel heavy and overwhelmed, halting their advance to the cart.

"Wha- What is happening?" among the bandits, one of them began to panic. Later, horrific screams followed one after another. Terror slowly plaguing their minds as they were exposed to Sieghart's condensed inner darkness he inadvertently exuded.

Sieghart was oblivious of all other emotions that time except for rage. His eyes gave off a sinister look directed at the man, reinforced by the savage expression on his face.

" _Of all people, you hurt Elesis! You fucking bastard!_ " Sieghart unleashed a huge roar out of rage, turning the purple flames into a column of darkness. Those who were unfortunate to be swallowed by the flames instantly burned without a trace while the ones who were far off were only knocked down with their ears bleeding, doomed to never wake up again.

Alibaba was terrified with what he just witnessed. He could see a dense dark purplish aura enveloping the man, and he could feel his wrath and bloodlust merging into one final product of hate. Still, he and Elesis did not perish. He noticed that same aura enveloping both of them, serving as their protection against Sieghart's own deadly aura. In his eyes, Sieghart looked like darkness itself.

The whole group of bandits were wiped out in a blink of an eye, but despite this, Sieghart didn't let up. His rage grew overwhelming as Elesis's unconscious figure haunted him. It was the force which fueled him to reach that unrestrained state until it was as if a different him has taken full control of his body.

 _Elesis is wounded. Elesis got hurt. And it all happened in my presence. I let it happen._

In a fit of rage, the immense power that Sieghart always kept in check went out of control. This explosion of power doomed Reim's borderland to be wiped off of the face of the world.

=/=

At the Reim Colosseum, Lady Scheherazade's attention was caught by the ominous dark clouds forming a ways from the capital city. She immediately called Alexius Muu and requested him to investigate the situation, allowing him to take the empire's Fanalis Corps if he saw fit.

"I also feel an extremely large presence coming from it. I hope you be careful, Muu." her soft voice was firm, yet was coated with anxiety.

The leader of the Fanalis Corps only bowed as he accepted the priestess's blessing, reassuring the lady of his success.

=/=

In a certain village of the Parthevian Empire, the Silver Knight's passionate fighter stopped in his tracks to delivering the basket of potatoes he was tasked with. Sensing the familiar uncanny aura made him realize the gravity of the situation.

"This is Sieghart's rage." the fighter mumbled to himself, leaving his basket of potatoes behind and rushing forth to the village outskirts.

Jin was picked up by a young lady who routinely filled a jar of water by the lake in the village outskirts. When she found the fighter lying unconscious, she woke him and offered her hospitality. Her family was an easygoing bunch and easily accepted Jin when he asked to be in their care for a while. Since then, he'd been helping them out in their tasks, and even worked for a few jobs to earn an extra for the good family.

Jin didn't want to be an ingrate but everyone in the Chase understood what it meant once Sieghart goes into rage. The last time was his most ominous one, when Zero fell in battle and Elesis was gravely wounded. Sieghart went insane continuously pulverizing anything in sight. Although it seemed he was still aware which was enemy and not, it didn't help that he neared his 'Soul Break' point.

That was only one time, and even then he still felt the shivers just remembering the weight of darkness he emitted.

Back to the present, Jin was fairly anxious with Sieghart's presence being so huge. He couldn't pinpoint his exact location and only hoped for his instincts to be correct. Honestly, the fighter didn't have any slightest idea how he'd be able to calm down the gladiator. He was even unsure if he'd be able to get there in time, considering how he had no knowledge of the lands he was in but nonetheless, he knew that he had to find the man before the situation worsened.

=/=

Near the gates of Magnostadt, Aladdin and a prince from Kou Empire felt the sinister aura that came from the west.

"To the west is the Reim Empire. To think they had something like this." Kouha, the third prince of Kou muttered to himself.

"I have a friend heading there right now." Aladdin told Kouha. "I hope he's okay." he stared off in a far distance, praying to the rukh that Alibaba stays alive and safe. It worried the young Magi, as the feeling resembled that of the dark Djinn they encountered and the black rukh that Judal used. Still, Aladdin noted how it was a bit different than he previously encountered, and was a little scared at how huge and powerful it seemed.

=/=

At a lone cabin sitting in the heart of a certain forest between Mistania Republic and Magnostadt, a violet mage who recently got hold of a mirror-like magic tool excitedly tinkered the said item. For the past few days, Arme had been researching the use of this clairvoyance magic in order to locate her friends. However, a familiar aura reached her, causing her to panic and lose all focus just when she was about to be successful with her own formula of clairvoyance.

Suddenly, the door to her private chambers swung open without warning. Following its loud noise, the usually quiet bounty hunter yelled in alarm, "Arme, it's Sieghart!"

"I know, I know!" Arme didn't want to ruin her concentration at the thought of Sieghart wiping out a whole city somewhere in the world they were currently in. It was bad enough that he almost erased an entire island in his rage back in Aernas, and for the second time he's in a rage, the magician was uncertain if someone was there to neutralize the gladiator.

"Do you think you can find him faster?" another soul entered her chamber. His impatience and lack of sensitivity was proof enough of his being a demon.

"Hush! I'm trying, I'm trying!" Arme was losing patience by then.

She was partly glad that she came across Luxus and Dio while she wandered in the forest looking for enchanted stuff besides trying to search for her comrades, but getting stuck with demons was unpleasant.

=/=

At the palace of Sindria, Sinbad and the officials close to him sensed the ominous aura. Its huge presence exceedingly disturbed the first class singularity.

"It's coming from the direction..of the Reim Empire." Ja'far stated, seemingly reading Sinbad's thoughts.

"I'm worried. By now, Alibaba's in Reim." Sinbad visibly expressed his worries. "I'm sure Aladdin felt this too."

"No doubt. I mean, it's freaking huge to the point it's reached us. I wonder what it could be." Sharrkan remarked.

"What's bad is that it somehow resembles the dark Djinn's we previously encountered in Balbadd. If Alibaba felt this and jumped straight into the scene, I doubt he'd be able to handle the trauma it might bring." Sinbad explained, gesturing at Yamraiha when she entered the place.

"King Sinbad, I managed to find Alibaba, and you won't believe this." the water magician handed over her magic tool, Rukh's eye, and it revealed Alibaba frozen stiff, holding a red haired girl in his arms.

"This is...!" Sinbad was shocked with this rendering him lost for words.

"Of course the brat's in the scene! What luck!" Sharrkan was utterly displeased upon seeing his student's stupid face. Alibaba looked terrified, yet he kept clutching at an almost dead girl.

"Is he trying to save her? What's going on? What's the source of this ominous presence?" Ja'far inquired, glancing at Yamraiha.

"Unfortunately, I am unable to get an image of its true source. Frankly, we're only able to see this because Alibaba was present at the scene."

They couldn't even fathom how the blonde found himself in the middle of it. Seeing how black rukh flew about densely in the scene threatened to make Sinbad decide to leave for Reim as soon as possible.

=/=

At Sindria's Central Market, a certain store currently packed with customers had four newly hired workers who were able to catch the biggest haul. The fishes they sell were always fresh, and they personally catch them, or at least, two of them does.

"I really don't like the smell of fish." the charming dancer complained as she stuck her head out of the window.

"You should really keep that to yourself, Amy." the peace loving archer whispered as she replaced the gal in the counter.

"I hope we find the others soon."

"We will. Just work already for the time being." Lire kept entertaining one customer after another, running back and forth to meet their needs.

"Ryan's seriously taking too long taking out the trash." the spell knight sighed as he finished packing an old lady's bought goods. "It's a wonder why Amy forgot to take it out last night."

"And to think it even took until afternoon before we noticed. It was good the owner didn't visit this time around." Lire seconded, obviously trying to make the dancer feel responsible.

"All right, I get it! I'll go get Ryan." Amy reluctantly walked away from the window but before she could even take a step out of the counter, the druid came rushing in.

"Ryan? What's gotten into you?" the dancer asked out of surprise seeing the male elf look so frightened.

"It's bad! I think I felt Sieghart's aura, and it's sharper and larger than his usual rage!" Ryan hurriedly explained, his horror couldn't be clearer.

Upon hearing the druid's testimony, the three decided to calm down and heighten their senses. Immediately, as if in sync, the three shuddered as Sieghart's ominous aura reached them. They were too busy with their customers that they failed to notice, yet the fact that it still reached them in that state meant he was diving deeper into his darkness.

"This is real bad. His presence feels so huge I couldn't even tell how far off he is exactly." Amy quickly went back to the window to peek in a futile attempt to seize the gladiator's location however far he may be.

"If Sieghart's in such state, that means something bad happened." Ronan concluded, fortifying his theory of Elesis and Sieghart traveling together at the moment. "It's rare for Sieghart to mindlessly abuse his rage."

"And that's when two or more of the Chase are in a pinch." Lire ended Ronan's sentence.

"Actually, there's one occasion where he wouldn't even think twice releasing his rage." Ryan looked over at his comrades, his lips slightly trembling just by the thought of it.

"Yeah." Lire solemnly nodded, silently praying for her friends' safety. "I hope Elesis is all right."

=/=

Somewhere in the Kou Empire's Palace, a youthful woman with pale blue eyes was laughing gleefully as she marveled at the ominous aura she sensed. Extremely pleased by it, Gyokuen Ren quickly ordered two of her men from Al-Thamen to go and find the source of the huge presence.

"Why are you so interested?" someone voiced out.

"Oh come on, are you going senile? This is the purest of all depravity I've ever felt, and the biggest one yet! To think someone possessed this much hate against 'Fate'." she patiently explained, visibly thrilled by this new discovery of hers. "We should get a hold of its source quickly. With this, we will be able to summon our great 'Father' ahead of schedule!"

=/=

"Brother, do you feel that?" the second prince of Kou muttered under his breath. He was accompanying Kouen in the library for a time until a sinister aura piqued their senses.

"I do. And it's fairly powerful." the first prince of Kou responded. His thirst for knowledge drove his curiosity into wanting to figure out its source, cause and effect.

"Do you think you'd be able to stand a chance against that?" Koumei challenged. Understanding his brother's thought process, he knew the man was thrilled instead of fearing its existence.

"We'll never know until we try."

"Excuse me." two light knocks on the door disrupted the two's conversation. Soon, a young man of lavender hair and blood red eyes entered the room. "I brought your coffee, Your Highness."

"Ah, the new recruit." Koumei acknowledged his presence. "What was your name again? Azin?"

"That is correct, your highness." the man kept an indifferent face despite the glare he was receiving from the First Prince himself.

"You... You're that person Judal found, right?" Kouen asked.

Azin quietly nodded before taking the tray as he finished setting down their cups on the table.

"You can feel this presence, right?" it sounded more like a statement than a question.

Azin couldn't help but smirk at the man. He never would have thought the prince was so sharp that he had already seen through his facade.

"What gives? I thought my acting was perfect."

"Your body's too tense, and your eyes slightly averted when I mentioned Judal's name." Kouen explained, lifting a cup to his mouth.

"Thank you, I shall improve next time." Azin bowed before turning around to leave, yet Kouen forbade him and pressed him regarding the issue at hand.

"You are familiar with this presence. Your hands slightly shook when I pointed it out."

Koumei was gawking at Kouen by now. He never really noticed those subtle actions the blue fox displayed.

Azin then looked back at the man, his blood red eyes glinted in annoyance. "So, what do you want me to say? Tell you what's its source?"

"It'd be best if you can tell me everything you know about this presence. I'd be sure to reward you for it."

Azin paused for a moment before grinning widely and said, "Sorry, your highness but it's _best_ for _you_ to stay ignorant about this. You can thank me later for it."

"You dare speak back to your master, and even disobey his orders?" Koumei, who has been keeping silent, joined their conversation.

"Believe me, you won't even be able to do anything even if I tell you what's emitting this terrifying sensation." Azin argued, half-exasperated, half-chastened.

Azin's memories of Sieghart's rage back at Aernas when they lost Zero and Elesis was almost dying was an unpleasant one. At that time, he was completely terrified of the gladiator and was clueless as to what to do. His mind went blank as the man left piles of indistinguishable corpses in the battlefield, vanquishing one foe after another in a heartbeat.

"I've never felt so powerless and frightened back then." the fox mumbled to himself, leaving the two princes dumbfounded as he remained silent for the rest of their interrogation, stubbornly refusing to rat out Sieghart's ungodly existence.

=/=

Sieghart's rage intensified with each second passing. The earth shook as the ground under them threatened to crumble and sink. Plants and every other lifeforms withered, the scenery blocked by blackness made by black rukh. They were so dense that they became visible to the naked eye, be it people who can see rukh naturally or those who didn't have the capability.

Alibaba found himself standing in the eye of the storm. He was surrounded by a vortex of black rukh violently rotating having the appearance of a funnel-shaped cloud, as if an act of shielding him from outside forces, imprisoning him inside. He was frozen in his feet as Sieghart's emotions accidentally poured into him, sensing the man's bottomless rage for everything else and endless love for the person he currently held in his arms. It was at that time he realized how he would have perished along with the bandits if he didn't pick up Elesis before the gladiator released his power, and the thought terrified him.

As the black rukh grew ever denser and thicker, Alibaba slowly got himself together. Glancing at the redhead, he knew there was still hope in saving her life. Only, they needed to get her to a doctor fast. In order to do that, he had to stop Sieghart in his frenzy. The vortex forbade him to go any further, and with the way things were progressing, he could see the man falling into depravity. Remembering Cassim's fate after falling repulsed him, and he didn't want the same thing to happen again in his presence.

"Sir Sieghart, please calm down!" Alibaba shouted at the top of his lungs. He could only see a glimpse of the gladiator's figure as the purplish aura engulfing him shimmered against the darkness.

Alibaba kept shouting at the man until the person finally turned to his direction. Sieghart had already lost his reason at the moment and only approached them out of instinct. He staggered in his steps as he made his way towards the source of the voice. Later, at the mention of the name of his dearest, in a burst of speed he jumped right in front of Alibaba, landing flawlessly, his face leaning close to the man.

Alibaba flinched with Sieghart's sudden appearance. He shamefully stumbled in his feet, effectively tangling his legs and fell back on his butt. Still, he was careful not to put a strain on Elesis to avoid her wound from squirting out more blood, especially not when sinister purple orbs were glued to him.

"S-sir Sieghart, Elesis is alive. We just- We have to hurry and find her a doctor." Alibaba stuttered, hopelessly holding on to the last of his valor in the face of a demon.

Sieghart was silent, almost unresponsive. He only stared at them, at him, and didn't make any move.

"Please get back to your senses!" Alibaba raised his voice. He had to hurry up and pacify the man before it gets worse. "Sir Sieghart, wake up!"

Still, the man was unresponsive.

"Wake up Sieghart! Didn't you want to save Elesis?! Snap out of it, damn it!" Alibaba felt frustrated being unable to be of help. He was even regretting the fact that he held himself back against the bandits because of the uneasiness he kept after hearing Sinbad's warning regarding his unstable magoi. Alibaba felt responsible for the turn of events and wanted to make up for it by any means possible.

With the fear of death in Sieghart's hands leaving him, Alibaba gingerly put Elesis down and stood up. He then proceeded to deliver a strong punch to the gladiator's face, making the man stagger in his feet and lean back due to the force of the blow.

"We need Elesis to get treated immediately. She's still breathing, and I managed to stop her bleeding. If we move now, she'll get to live." Alibaba calmly announced, his fist painted with beads of blood.

Sieghart remained unresponsive but the heavy atmosphere immediately lifted. Soon, the black rukh dissipated and darkness swiftly dispersed. Following that, Sieghart's purple aura dissolved and everything went back to normal, or at least it seemed so if you can ignore the fact that only a huge crater was left in the area.

"Hey, do you hear me? We have to move now!" Alibaba grabbed the man by the collar.

Obsidian eyes looked mournfully at golden ones. By then, Sieghart's awareness returned. He felt his left cheek sting and came to realize what transpired after he succumbed to his wrath. He wasn't blind, he could tell he was the one who replaced the land with an ugly crater and he nearly broke his soul, becoming destruction itself. He was grateful with Alibaba, and he also felt ashamed.

"I'm sorry, Alibaba..." Sieghart weakly said.

Alibaba was surprised by this, rendering himself speechless.

Sieghart freed himself from the blonde's grasp and approached the unconscious Elesis. He bent down and studied her face before his eyes fell on the wound that was previously bleeding when he last saw it. "Alibaba, please help me save Elesis." he muttered under his breath, his lips trembled as the thought of losing the red knight crossed his mind.

Alibaba snapped out of his daze and quickly replied, "It's a given that I'm helping you. Now, let's hurry up!"

Sieghart was quick to respond by then. He carried the red knight and let Alibaba lead the way. Soon, night was upon them, and it couldn't get any worse when they came across a group of people with red hair and red eyes, exuding great strength just from their stance.


	4. Chapter 4

**Wicked Game of Chase**

Alibaba suddenly got dragged into the bushes and was forced to hide and stay still as a group of red-haired people came into sight. He wanted to inquire Sieghart about it but stopped himself when he saw the gladiator's troubled look. With Elesis in grave danger, it was crucial to avoid unnecessary battles and keep moving, he understood, yet they couldn't progress with the six red-haired deciding to stop and check the area.

"I'm sure I saw someone around here." a tall, tan woman with a tiny ponytail said, fiddling scarlet strands as she looked around. "He could be the one who released that ominous presence. I couldn't have just imagined it." she insisted, placing her hands over her hips.

"Yes, I'm sure you didn't." one with a scar on his left cheek scoffed.

"Shut up, Lo'lo'! I wasn't asking your opinion!" Myron snarled, but quickly reverts back to a ladylike posture. "I mean, let's just scout the area to make sure."

"I do sense someone's presence." one wearing a kind expression claimed. He then proceeded to walk around the area, to which the others followed suit.

Sieghart was partly relieved when the red-haired party went to the opposite direction, but he knew they'll soon find them if they stayed in proximity.

"Alibaba, we're going to part from here." Sieghart whispered, his eyes never leaving the red-haired strangers.

"But why?" Alibaba grumbled, his tone practically objecting.

"We're racing against time here." Sieghart simply said, carefully placing Elesis by Alibaba's side. "I honestly don't trust you but for now, I'll be counting on you."

"What?" the blonde swordsman already had a grasp on what Sieghart wanted done but he still felt the need to ask the man, almost hoping he could come up with some other plan.

"Alibaba, please save Elesis." the gladiator looked at the man, his obsidian eyes filled with sorrow despite his firm voice. "I'll distract them while you run with all your strength, understand?"

"But- !"

"I'll make sure none of them gets past me." Sieghart looked straight at Alibaba with a stern face, his tone unyielding.

By then, Alibaba understood the man was set to do whatever it takes to get Elesis treated. Sieghart didn't seem to be backing out from his plan, nor was he even willing to hear his argument. With a decisive nod, Alibaba took Elesis in his arms and prepared to leave.

"Just so you know, if you neglect Elesis- If anything happens to Elesis, I will blame you for it, so do me a favor and do your part well." Sieghart only smirked before waving a hand to him, a signal for him to go ahead and escape.

As Alibaba felt responsible for Elesis's condition and Sieghart's sacrifice, he decided to take it slow and sneak his way away from the place. The gladiator didn't seem to mind with his full attention taken by the red-haired party who were already walking back to their position. Later, Alibaba was already running along the trees, making the terrain give him the stealth advantage.

Unfortunately, the man with a kind expression possessed such sharp hearing, immediately responding to the quick, light footsteps Alibaba created.

Sieghart anticipated this and quickly jumped out of his hiding, his blade forthwith meeting the other. The man, surprised, managed to block the blade with his own, pulling back on recoil.

"So, the rat has finally revealed himself." the tan woman with a little ponytail proclaimed, advancing forward as she fiddled with her hair.

"I don't think he's alone. I heard quick footsteps just ahead." Muu Alexius stated. He glanced at his men, directing them to follow the 'rat's companions'.

With a nod, two of the red-haired proceeded to advance, but were instantly blocked off by the man clad in black.

Sieghart performed a somersault, swinging his gladius in a circular motion and finished with a kick, knocking one opponent on the ground. Swiftly, he used his opponent's body as trampoline and leapt towards the other one, grabbing her by the neck then slamming her on the ground.

"Yaqut! Razol!" Myron screamed. The two addressed quickly got up to their feet and pulled back.

"Sorry but, the path behind me is off limits." Sieghart smirked, lifting his gladius to his shoulder.

"You bastard!" Myron was enraged, and although Lo'lo' hadn't spoken for a while, he was preparing himself to lunge at the man. As the two was about to charge at him, Muu motioned to them, halting them. The woman asked why, but was only told to calm down by the man.

"Quick question." he began. "Where did you come from?"

Sieghart let out a short laugh. "Does it really matter?"

"Yes. We were currently on our way to check the cause of a dark vortex that formed somewhere by the borderland this late afternoon. Do you have any knowledge about this?"

"And if I did?" Sieghart scoffed.

"You'll have to answer a few questions."

"If I refuse?"

Muu swung his sword, his blade slicing through the air swiftly, sending a projectile aerial slash towards Sieghart. Fortunately, the gladiator was able to block it but was pushed back by its sheer force, his back met with a hard tree.

"I never said it has to be voluntary." Muu simply stated. He approached the man whilst wielding his weapon threateningly.

"What if I didn't know anything about it?" Sieghart asked. He picked himself up and dusted his pants.

"Unlikely." Muu delivered another projectile slash to which Sieghart blocked once again, but was blown through a couple of trees by its power. "Your being here meant you've been near the area for a time. The vortex was large and impossible to go unnoticed."

Sieghart coughed up blood as he landed against solid ground. He was out of breath, but was still brimming with energy. He gripped his sword and stood tall, waiting for his opponent to make his move once more.

Muu cautiously approached the man. He was controlling himself from using his Djinn's abilities to avoid draining his own magoi too fast. In a flash, Muu was right in front Sieghart, sword raised. As he swung down his blade, he was surprised it didn't touch the raven-haired man instead, he was even counterattacking.

Muu blocked the counter but Sieghart continued attacking, pushing back the red-haired. Swinging his gladius thrice, Sieghart drove his blade to the ground and ended it with a flying kick which took Muu by surprise, resulting to him getting knocked off a distance.

Sieghart wasn't finished. He dashed towards the airborne Muu and followed up a wide slash as he was close, but his blade was stopped by an arm donned with metal gauntlet.

"That's enough from you, punk!" Lo'lo' forcefully swung his arm, making Sieghart rebound. With a burst of speed, he caught up to the airborne gladiator and delivered a downward blow, pummeling down the man into the ground.

Muu Alexius was caught by Myron and prevented him from colliding against the earth. Suggesting they attack the man altogether, Myron took up her stance to follow Lo'lo's advance. Muu agreed to this, seeing as how the man was proving to be a challenge to them but strongly emphasized that they take him alive for questioning.

The rest of the Fanalis Corps began their barrage of assaults towards the highlander, to which he responded quickly and even managed to return a few blows. Sieghart performed a wide swing, fending off two of the red-haired but one managed to get close to him. He tumbled backwards, swiftly dragging his gladius to the ground upon landing. Swinging his blade upwards, he sent a huge purple wave energy forward whilst receiving a punch from one of the combatants. His attack hit the woman with scars upon her body but the rest managed to dodge.

Sieghart wiped the blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, dashing forward once more swinging his gladius violently as to meet his opponents' blades. Soon, he was faced against Muu to which Sieghart heartily welcomed. The highlander performed two mighty uppercuts engulfed in purple flames, sending Myron and another flying while Muu only staggered back. Yaqut, Razol, and Lo'lo' surrounded him by then, triple teaming him.

In an attempt to avoid taking heavy hits from the three, Sieghart released a bit of his darkness, conjuring up an orb that drew in his opponents. As the three was caught up with the strange gravity pull they were experiencing, Sieghart performed a circular slash and then raised his gladius, summoning furious swirls of dark flames around him.

The trio endured the punishing blows, standing their grounds as they desperately defended themselves. Their skin and flesh were torn, sliced and cut by the seemingly bladed flame. Once it was over, the gladiator was nowhere near them and was already engaging Muu Alexius and the remaining two red-haired.

Sieghart decided to utilize his darkness. He didn't necessarily needed to be in a rage in order to abuse it, and he could easily control his darkness in a fight. After two spinning slashes imbued with dark flames, Sieghart hammered his blade into the ground producing a burst of dark flames explode around him. The force knocked back all enemies, leaving Sieghart room to execute Muu Alexius who he deemed to be the leader of the group.

The Fanalis Corps captain was quick to get back on his feet, fully prepared to receive Sieghart's blade. Only, Sieghart stomped on his foot, causing the man to flinch for a brief second, but giving the highlander ample time to bring down his gladius for a decisive strike.

Sieghart's blade pierced through the man's metal cuirass, blood seeping out from where the blade impaled him. But Sieghart was shocked to see shoulder-length red hair, for his target had longer one. He couldn't even understand why he was seeing the man's back, when it was clear Muu Alexius was prepared to take his blow head-on.

"Yaqut!" Muu's voice shattered Sieghart's confusion. There was only one explanation, and that was someone else besides Muu took the blow.

Sieghart quickly stepped back, pulling out his blade from the man. He was quickly met with an angry fist by courtesy of Lo'lo', to which he was sent flying afterwards. Soon, he found himself on the defensive as he took blows after blows, heavier than the previous ones and more aggressive than earlier.

"Yaqut! Why?!" Muu was mortified upon seeing a comrade take a blow meant for him.

The man in question only smiled. "Captain, I'm fine. It's just my back." Yaqut fell down on his knees, clutching his chest and coughing up blood.

Muu was furious. He called another red-haired to look after Yaqut before rushing towards Sieghart who was currently engaging three of his men.

Sieghart struggled to neutralize the three, especially Lo'lo', who seemed to posses more raw power than the women. His blows were notably heavier compared to the two, he even inferred they were stronger than their leader's. Fending off Lo'lo's attacks took more effort in Sieghart's part, causing him to receive a few blows from the other two from time to time. He prioritized killing off the stronger man before entertaining the extra flies, to which Myron realized, making her seethe in anger.

Gesturing to the other two, Myron took the lead onto attacking Sieghart. Later, Muu joined the fight, and that's when Myron carried out a critical blow, impaling Sieghart with her blade through his right side. She wasn't even satisfied with that. Boiling in both anger and excitement, she forcefully drove her sword through his body, her blade piercing the bark of the tree that was behind Sieghart.

"Myron, that's enough. I clearly said not to kill him." Muu flatly stated, lowering his weapon. The other two Fanalis remained in their position, observing Sieghart.

Myron seemed to fail hearing her brother's words, completely ravished by the sight before her. Sieghart's face was contorted with pain, his hands slightly shaking but his grip on his sword was still steady. Blood dripped from her blade, and his body shuddered every time he took a deep breath. Myron decided watching Sieghart in such a pitiful state was one of the most exhilarating things she could ever experience, because the man kept exuding strength in spite of it.

Sieghart slowly lifted his left hand and placed it over the hilt of Myron's sword. This surprised her, prompting her to grind her blade against the man. Sieghart winced in pain but kept his grip on the hilt, alarming the rest of the Fanalis Corps prompting them to take their stance and prepare.

"Myron, below you!" Muu immediately grabbed Myron by her shoulder, forcibly pulling her away from Sieghart who was about to cut her arm off with his gladius. Lo'lo' and Razol also reacted, with Lo'lo' blocking the blade with his arm whilst holding his wrist, and Razol holding Myron's sword in place whilst pointing her blade against Sieghart's neck.

Myron fell back as she released her hold on her sword. Muu supported her weight, reminding her not to let her guard down at any situation. This embarrassed her, causing her face to redden whilst pulling away from the man.

"Sorry, brother." she meekly said before regaining a fierce expression, shooting a glare at her offender.

Sieghart smirked as his eyes glided from Lo'lo' to Razol. He was confident he could defeat them but they proved to be a challenge even for him. The highlander already exhausted most of his strength, as his rage eats up too much stamina. Number was never a problem against Sieghart, but if all of them were equally skilled, it's a different story.

"Surrender now or you'll die." Muu stated, glaring at the man.

Sieghart laughed. "Are you kidding me? Die? Really-"

A punch over his stomach replaced his laughter with a groan, blood spilling out of his mouth.

"Shut up, you bastard." Lo'lo' growled.

Sieghart giggled lightly before fading into a stop. Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, the man muttered, "You better hold tight."

The two felt a sinister aura enveloping them. In response, they released the man and pulled back, watching carefully as dark flames engulfed his hands. With a strong kick on the ground, Sieghart charged forward, making the sword on his waist plunge deeper into his body but also pulling it out from the tree he was pinned at. After the charge, a violent burst occurred, stunning the Fanalis Corps.

"I got a trivia for you kids!" Sieghart shouted in glee, his whole body covered with thin purplish aura, his face decorated with a feral look.

The Fanalis Corps braced themselves for what was coming. Muu decided it was time he use his Djinn weapon equip and gestured to the rest to use their household vessels. If they wanted to contain the man, they understood they had to practically put him in a near-death state, otherwise they were the ones losing a limb or two, or worse, their lives.

Sieghart stood tall and proud wearing a Cheshire grin on his face, his figure exuding pure malice and boundless power.

"I can't die."

=/=

Alibaba was following the path up north, leading to Remano's walls. The night was getting deeper and his surroundings darker that it put him on high alerts for hostiles. He was already out of breath, but forced himself to keep running. It wasn't he expected Sieghart to fall in battle and he ends up getting tailed, but because Elesis's life was fading away. He didn't know how he would face the highlander if he fails to save the red knight.

Fortunately, he spotted a caravan just ahead, and the gods seemed to have favored Elesis that night, as the person the cart was transporting was a medical practitioner together with his assistant. Alibaba pleaded for their help, to which they were hesitant because of their current appearance. Alibaba went to explain they were attacked by bandits and that was the result. Coming into terms, they agreed to help out and also offered them a ride.

When they arrived at the capital, the sun was about to rise. Alibaba stayed up all night observing Elesis. Seeing how her skin slowly regained their color, Alibaba was relieved. The doctor didn't charge them, he even offered to let Elesis stay at his clinic since it will take a while before she wakes up.

"She lost a lot of blood. It was lucky you found us out here." the good doctor claimed. He went by the name Ikusa, and explained he was a resident of Remano and was just about to return to the capital after gathering supplies from Naporlia.

"She had the easiest to find blood type, and we just restocked with blood bags. It seems you truly are blessed despite the hardship you faced." Ikusa's assistant, Ganga, stated.

Alibaba was grateful to them. He then explained he was going to compete in the Colosseum and will be able to pay them afterwards. As Elesis was going to stay in their clinic, he decided to stay there too for the time being.

After fixing up Elesis in a hospital bed, Alibaba bade her goodbye as he needed to find the Yambala's gladiator school, promising the unconscious redhead to return soon.

Later, Alibaba went to the training grounds but was met by a girl named Toto at the gates. Without a letter of invitation, the girl claimed he was not allowed to join them. Alibaba tried to convince her that he was attacked by bandits and got robbed, but instead of agreeing to his story, the girl challenged him to a duel, declaring that if he's able to beat her, then he passes and will be allowed to join.

Of course Alibaba accepted, but due to the lack of sleep and exhaustion from last night, he found himself too tired to wield his sword properly. He hadn't even had breakfast yet, as he thought that, Toto delivered a strike and sent him flying.

After the duel, he ended up in the middle of town, broke and weary. But some old friends, the Nando Brothers, found him and took him to the casino they owned. Surprised, Alibaba congratulated them and gave them his gratitude for letting him sleep on a comfy bed while he was knocked out. He tried to move out but couldn't as he was too hungry. The Nando Brothers then took him to their casino to eat. Grateful, Alibaba ate to his heart's content while he listened about slaves living in the Reim Empire.

Later, Alibaba met Shambal who shamefully lost everything in gambling. In a conversation, Shambal asked him to have a rematch with Toto, to which the blonde accepted, quickly proceeding to battle.

Alibaba was skilled, gaining the upper hand just as they started, until Toto displayed a special ability which utilizes one's magoi. As she displayed her ability of Magoi Manipulation, she revealed that she and Shambal were from the Yambal Gladiators. Soon, the battle ended in Alibaba's favor. Despite getting banged up, he cut Toto's armor which revealed her naked body, making Shambal stop the duel and accepting Alibaba into the Colosseum.

=/=

Lady Scheherazade watched Alibaba's fight at the Reim Colosseum. Muu Alexius also came there to report, but first expressed how he was impressed by the blonde's fight against Garda, one of the ferocious beasts they had in the Colosseum.

"But you don't like gladiators fighting, right? What brought you to this place, Lady Scheherazade?"

"He...has an air around him that has piqued my interest." the lady in question simply stated.

"Is that what you call the rukh's guidance? I can't understand it all that much, though..." Muu lifted his arm across his chest, gesturing his respects towards the high priestess.

After a light chat, Muu proceeded with his report. "I have seen the status of the borderlands." he looked at the lady and continued on, "Nothing was left of it."

Scheherazade visibly flinched when she heard the man. Still, she remained quiet.

"Also, I found a few magic tools scattered around the vicinity with a few corpses which looked to me like they were outsiders. They may have come from Magnostadt."

Lady Scheherazade sighed. She stood up and lightly patted Muu's forehead. "That was a scary face, Muu. I like it when you smile."

This caused the man to loosen up. Watching in admiration, Muu listened as the high priestess expressed her determination to protect their empire from looming threats such as Magnostadt and Kou, and even against the unknown entity that entered their borderlands.

"I heard...you caught someone." the lady asked. "And that Yaqut...got severely injured."

Muu stiffened. He bowed his head to hide his frustration from the priestess. "Yes. The man we caught put up a fight but we still managed. We chained him down in the dungeon for questioning but he didn't seem to be willing to cooperate."

Lady Scheherazade paused for a while before declaring her desire to meet the person. Muu Alexius was against it but the lady insisted. "I won't go alone. And you'll be there to protect me, Muu."

Soon, Muu and Lady Scheherazade was in front of a barred cell. They could see a lone figure behind it, seating with his legs crossed and his arms spread due to the thick chains cuffing both his wrists to the wall. There was a faint smell of copper in the air as the blood over Sieghart's body dried.

Admittedly, Sieghart was pleasantly surprised about finding out how he was chained and imprisoned, but what amused the highlander most, was the fact that his grave wound on his right was tended and his stomach wrapped neatly in a bandage. Despite this, he refused to give them information, considering his current position.

"Ah, more visitors! How delightful!" Sieghart shouted, his voice echoing throughout the dungeon.

"You-!" Muu's retort was halted with Scheherazade gesturing to him.

"My apologies. I am Lady Scheherazade, the high priestess of Reim. I've come to meet you. May we know your name?"

Sieghart was piqued as he heard the girl's introduction. He raised his head, staring at the girl clad in white. She looked holy, he'll give her that, but otherwise, he sensed nothing special about her.

"I heard you were a Magi." Sieghart stated. "I don't see any difference."

"Preposterous!"

"Muu, calm down." the priestess stepped closer to the cell, her face almost touching the metal bars. "Who are you? Why did you mention my being a Magi?"

"I heard a Magi was something special. Is there by any chance, not one, but more of your kind?" Sieghart's tone sounded like he already knew the answer, which piqued the priestess's curiosity.

"That's true. There are currently four of us."

"I knew it." Sieghart muttered to himself. He concluded the kid with Alibaba was a Magi, and probably the one they were after too. He groaned in frustration as he realized how he just let their target slip by him.

"I have answered your question. Please answer mine. Who are you?"

There was silence. Sieghart never planned to give them any information, not even his name.

"Legend." Sieghart smirked, telling himself clever as the word slipped out smoothly from his mouth.

"Legend?" Muu repeated, his tone laced with a mix of shock and disgust.

Lady Scheherazade paid no mind to the oddness of the name she was given and pressed on. "Sir Legend, may I ask you to share what you know about the event that occurred yesterday at the borderland?"

"I don't know."

"Stop lying and tell the truth! The High Priestess herself came down here to ask you personally. You should be honored!" Muu told their prisoner.

Sieghart snorted. "I already said I don't know."

"Why, you-"

"Then, may I ask to where you are headed?"

"What if I tell you? Will you let me go freely?" Sieghart spoke in a derisive tone.

"I cannot promise that, but yes, I may." the lady flatly replied.

This shocked Muu Alexius, promptly telling the priestess of her naivety, to which the lady chose to ignore.

Sieghart was confused. He didn't understand the girl's motives for asking the question yet her offer sounded quite enticing.

"If that's the case, I might as well tell you, huh?" Sieghart's lips curled up in amusement as he said, "I'm headed to an arena, where I could fight to the death to my heart's content."

Muu threw a piercing glare at their prisoner, biting back the words he wanted to bark at the man.

"I see. You are a warrior, perhaps?" the lady could not hide her unease upon the man's revelation, her forehead slightly wrinkling at the thought of battle.

"A gladiator. I was told there was a Colosseum in this nation."

Sieghart hoped he'd be able to find both Alibaba and Elesis safe and sound in the said capital city of Reim. Unaware of the place he was in, he assumed he was at least somewhere near the city. He knew it stupid to just brashly escape and kill on sight whilst searching for a meager two persons so his best bet was to become famous as a gladiator in the Colosseum, make his name known as quickly as possible and let them know where to find him.

"Then you're in luck. You are currently in Remano, the capital city of Reim Empire where the famed Colosseum stands." Muu proceeded to enlighten Sieghart. With a sigh, he continued, "I guess this means you'd be set to fight in the arena as you wished."

"That's great but aren't you going to free me?"

"You are a criminal as you fought against the Fanalis Corps, part of the army of the Reim Empire. If you wish to be freed, you must win a thousand battles in the arena." Muu explained, glancing at Lady Scheherazade as he tried to understand how the lady felt about his declaration.

Sieghart fell silent after hearing the man. It wasn't like he'd given up, it's just he was glad he could still get a chance to make fame and get his message across the two, or maybe it would even reach the rest of the Chase. Sieghart was more than prepared to fight, be it tied down or weaponless, labeled as a criminal, treated as a prisoner and alienated by society, he will wipe the floor with every and any opponent he meets in that stage.

Scheherazade opened her bright blue eyes, staring intently at the bound raven-haired man. She could see the darkness emanating from him and the rukh surrounding him were dyed in pure black. She could feel his hatred, his frustration, his rage - the man before her has already fallen into depravity The priestess contemplated on her options as the silence stretched on, finally glancing back at Alexius Muu who patiently awaited her decision.

"Tomorrow, after the wild animal hunt in the morning, at noon break," the lady stared back at Sieghart who equally returned her gaze. Strengthening her resolve, she deemed his existence as a threat to the Empire she dearly loved, and so she firmly declared Sieghart be subjected to capital punishment. "You, Sir Legend, shall be thrown to the ferocious beasts as a form of execution."

Despite his surprise, Muu remained composed. Accepting the lady's decision was easier as he himself had deemed the man as dangerous to their land. He looked at Sieghart, anticipating a revolting response from the condemned.

Obsidian eyes looked ever so clearly as a playful smirk decorated his face. Sieghart said nothing, and remained still in place. The highlander wondered why he wasn't surprised with the lady's decision, yet he figured he already knew they were going to attempt to kill him one way or another. With that in mind, he couldn't fathom how they would pull it off, as death could only watch him from afar, unable to touch him.

Soon, Lady Scheherazade gestured at Muu and bade their prisoner farewell, but before she could even add a 'good luck', Sieghart beat her to it.

" _Good luck_ to _your_ 'ferocious beasts', milady."

=/=

Alibaba was eager to get back to the clinic after his fight in the Colosseum. He was gravely wounded, yes, but was treated vehemently by the Yambala gladiators. Still, he was advised to stay put and rest for a few more days before he could once again compete in the arena. Explaining he had somewhere important to go next, Alibaba left the training grounds.

The blonde didn't expect Elesis to be awake by then. The sun had already set when he arrived back at the clinic, and there he found Ikusa by the redhead's bedside. He heard chattering and upon recognizing Elesis's voice, Alibaba dashed to her side.

"Elesis! I'm so glad you're awake now!" he exclaimed, his eyes watery.

The red knight only drew up a small smile. Her eyes fell on Alibaba's left arm that was in a crutch, scrunching her face into a frown. "What happened to you?"

"Oh, this?" Alibaba playfully smiled and simply explained, "I got it from the arena. I had a battle this late afternoon."

"If you'd like, I can check on it." Ikusa offered, gesturing at the blonde.

Alibaba accepted the offer and proceeded to take a seat by the bed. "So, since when did you regain consciousness?"

"Just a little earlier, before you arrived." Elesis softly muttered.

"It's actually a miracle. I didn't expect her to open her eyes as early as today. In fact, I was expecting her to regain consciousness tomorrow night at best." the doctor explained, tidying up his medical toolbox. "Anyway, just stay in bed for a while longer, and no heavy meals or hard food either. You'll have to bear with soup and other soft meals."

As soon as Ikusa stood up and left the room, Ganga opened the door with a tray filled with food and fruits. She instructed Alibaba to feed Elesis with small portions of each meal, with him eating up the rest. Elesis insisted she could eat on her own and proceeded to sit up, holding a grunt of pain in. Despite Alibaba and Ganga's protests, the red knight stubbornly kept her facade and ate silently, ignoring their fuss.


End file.
